A Very Expensive Poison

Drama
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Running Time: 3h, inc. interval
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Closing: 05/10/2019

A jaw-dropping exposé of espionage comes to the stage in A Very Expensive Poison, Lucy Prebble’s reimagining of the notorious death of Alexander Litvinenko.

Based on Luke Harding’s remarkable investigation into the infamous case, tickets for this world premiere production of A Very Expensive Poison will see Litvinenko’s shocking assassination in London placed under the microscope of The Old Vic stage.

High-stakes politics and radioactive villainy combine in a time of global crises. Set to the looming threat of a new Cold War, A Very Expensive Poison sends you careering through the murky world of international espionage – everpresent, everywhere from Moscow to Mayfair.

The notorious death in question took place in November 2006, where journalist and Russian dissisdent Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned in London. His subsequent death 22 days later revealed he was subject to Polonium – a rare, lethal and highly radioactive substance.

The result of years of interviews and reporting on the incident, this new play by The Old Vic’s Associate Artist Lucy Prebble is based on Luke Harding’s book of the same name, and will be directed by John Crowley. Crowley’s previous theatre credits include The Playboy Of The Western World at The Old Vic, along with The Pillowman at the National Theatre and on Broadway, and the BAFTA-winning film Brooklyn. His upcoming works include the film The Goldfinch.

Tom Brooke (The Boat That Rocked, Sherlock, The Bodyguard) stars as Alexander Litvinenko. MyAnna Buring (The Wasp, West End) will play Marina Litvinenko, with the cast also including Reece Shearsmith (The League Of Gentlemen, Psychoville) as The President and Peter Polycarpou (Oslo, West End) as Boris Bereszovsky.

Step into a world of layered subterfuge and deadly revenge with A Very Expensive Poison tickets, now available through Official London Theatre.

Advisory Content

A Very Expensive Poison include flashing lights, loud noise (gunfire), smoke and haze, tobacco and herbal cigarette smoke some strong language and some mild sexual references.
If there are certain themes that you would find particularly upsetting and you’d like to speak to one of The Old Vic team to find out more about a show before you book, please call 0344 871 7628 or email box.office@oldvictheatre.com.

Age Suitability For This Show

Age suitability 12+. Contains strong language.

Unlike film, theatre doesn't have an official age
classification organisation. That means all age recommendations are subjective and should be treated as
guidelines unless otherwise stated. With this in mind, we ask you to use your judgement in regards to a
show’s suitability prior to purchase. However, we are more than happy to help you make a decision. Please
email our Customer Care
team to find out more about your chosen show.

Find a Show

Unlike film, theatre doesn't have an official age classification organisation. That means all age
recommendations are subjective and should be treated as guidelines unless otherwise stated. With this in mind, we
ask you to use your judgement in regards to a show’s suitability prior to purchase. However, we are more than happy
to help you make a decision. Please email ticketing@officiallondontheatre.com to find out more about
your chosen show.

Audio Described Performances

Audio description is a live verbal commentary providing information
on the visual elements of a production as it unfolds.

Captioned Performances

At a captioned performance the words are displayed on a screen/s
placed near the stage or in the set and can be seen at the same time as they are spoken or sung.

BSL Interpreted

An interpreter will stand in a visible position and interpret the
spoken and heard elements of a performance.

Relaxed Performances

Relaxed performances are adapted in a number of ways to reduce
anxiety and create a supportive atmosphere.

New Year Sale
With our annual New Year Sale, you can get £10, £20, £30 or £40 tickets to many of London’s biggest shows for performances from 1 January to 13 February 2020. Plus, there are no booking fees or hidden costs so the price you see is the price you pay.

If you click through to seat selection (where you'll see either best available or a seating plan), you will be seeing the most up-to-date prices. If this differs from what we've written on the calendar, please bear with us, as those prices will update soon.

We now sell our famous TKTS Booth discounts online here at Official London Theatre.

We are now cancelling all performances up until and including 31 May 2020 to help us process existing bookings whilst we wait for further clarity from the government in terms of when we will be able to reopen.

We are so sorry that in these testing and difficult times you are not able to enjoy the show you have booked for and hope the following helps clarify next steps in respect of your tickets .

There is nothing that you need to do if your performance has been cancelled, but we do ask for your patience.

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In order for us to serve our audiences the best we can, please do not get in touch with your point of sale if you have booked for performances after 31 May. Please be reassured that if we have to cancel future performances you will be directly contacted by your theatre or ticket provider. Our producers continue to plan for all eventualities dependent on the individual needs of their shows and we will provide further updates on specific shows as and when they become available.

We look forward to welcoming you back into our theatres as soon as we are allowed to resume performances. In the meantime stay safe and healthy.